First, make sure to strain your beans and start with fresh water (or stock), covering the beans with at least a couple extra inches of liquid. Bring your pot to a boil over medium-high heat, and skim off any white foam.

Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about an hour. I like to add salt after about 45 minutes. Salting at the beginning slows the cooking.

The exact cooking time will depend on how long your beans have been dried and stored. You'll know they're done when there is no white in the center of the beans and they're no longer al dente.

I do mostly what yesplease does, except I put seasonings (other than salt) in with the chick peas while they're cooking. I like dried herbes de Provence, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and both black and white peppers, freshly ground. And I always add a dried bay leaf or two.

If the peas are very fresh, they take about 45 minutes to cook. Add the salt about 10 minutes before they're done.

I agree with yesplease and ChefJune, although I think it is important to know whether you are using the cooked chickpeas in another dish--in other words, are you preparing them to eat as is or are you preparing them as an ingredient in another dish?

As for the basics, the peas should only be brought to a boil in the initial stage, boiling is otherwise too rough on beans and they should be kept at a simmer until soft. While salt can be added to the pre soak, it should not be added to the simmer liquid--in addition to adding taste, salt also helps to break down cell walls and can make beans fall apart. My recommendation is to simmer beans until soft (usually 1-2 hours, as mentioned above, this can depend on the drying techniques or even growing conditions of the bean--it is not necessarily something you can control!) and season as you are preparing the final dish--this way you can be certain that your dish will taste exactly as you intend.